Staying Healthy

During the teenage years our bodies grow and change quite quickly, puberty occurs and the changes this brings can affect us both physically and mentally. Things like school exams, friendships and becoming more independent of parents/carers can be stressful.

Doing things that help our body and mind to stay well can help us deal with these additional stresses.

Some of the things we can do to help us stay healthy also make us feel good. For example, eating well can give us more energy, this can help us stay alert and focused in school, if we can concentrate in class we can enjoy what we’re learning.

Eating well can help you feel better both physically and mentally. There are some basic things you can try to follow that will help.

Get a balanced diet. This means having food from each of the 4 food groups

• Carbohydrates, these include pasta, rice, potatoes and bread.
• Proteins, these include meat, fish, soya, tofu, beans
• Diary, this includes, milk, cheese, yogurt
• Fruit & Vegetables, try and aim for at least 5 portions per day.

You can find more detailed information on balanced diets and food groups here: Live Well – NHS (www.nhs.uk) Healthy eating for teens – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Eating well also includes drinking well. Water is one of the best things to drink, it’s healthy and plentiful! It’s handy to have a water bottle you can refill at school or college.

Try to limit the amount of caffeine you drink. Tea, coffee, and some energy drinks have high levels of caffeine. It’s also helpful to limit the number of sugary drinks. Caffeine and sugar can affect your mood and energy levels. Natural fruit juice is a better option.

You generally know when you haven’t had a good night’s sleep. It’s likely you’ll feel grumpy and find it hard to concentrate at school or college. That’s one of the reasons it’s important to try and establish a good night-time routine, that way you can try and help yourself get enough sleep most of the time. It’s only natural you’ll have the odd late night but if you generally get enough sleep, you’ll be able to manage the odd day when you haven’t.

So how much is enough sleep? The NHS suggests between 8 & 10 hours sleep for teenagers. Your body needs sleep to grow and to heal. A lot happens when you’re asleep!

If you’re interested check out this Teen Zone – Sleep Scotland

Some tips for helping set up a good night-time routine.

• Screen time

Give yourself a break from your phone and laptop before going to bed. Try and do something that lets you unwind such as reading or something that doesn’t involve looking at a screen. Some people find it helps to leave their phone and laptop in another room when going to bed, that way you’re less tempted to keep checking alerts!

• Regular bed time

 Our bodies work better when we get enough sleep, and we generally sleep better when we have a routine. This can help us fall asleep and in turn wake up when we need to. Having a regular bedtime doesn’t mean you can’t have the odd late night.

• Your bedroom

We sleep better when it’s dark, so being able to close the curtains or blinds can help block out light, particularly in summer. The temperature of the room can also affect how well we sleep, it’s best not to be too warm. Most people sleep better when it isn’t noisy. Overall, it’s about trying to make the space as calm and comfortable as possible.

This link takes you to some video clips made by the NHS specifically for young people. You can find a video all about sleep and why it is central to us looking after our health and wellbeing. 

Exercise is good for you. Keeping physically active not only helps our body, but it can also have a big impact on our mood too. As well as PE in school there are many other things you can do to help keep you active.

For some of us, PE in school isn’t the best. You may not be interested in the sports on offer or feel you’re not competitive enough. If this is you try not to be put off.

There are many things you can do by yourself that will help you stay active, but there are also activities you can get involved with locally that may be of interest.

Things you can try that don’t cost a lot of money and can be done alone or with friends and family.

• Walking
• Dancing
• Jogging
• Swimming
• Skipping
• Yoga
• Surfing

If you’d like to get involved in group or team activities, you could look out for local community groups or events for things such as:

• Cricket
• Football
• Rugby
• Park runs
• Surf life saving
• Tennis
• Squash

Community notice boards or local community websites may have information about the types of activities that are organised in your local area by the local community or local charities.

You might be eligible for something called an annual health check. People with a learning disability often have poorer physical and mental health than other people. An annual health check can improve people’s health by spotting problems earlier. You can ask your parent/carer or your doctor. Here’s a template letter you can use to ask your GP for an annual health check.

This film explains a bit about how they work and how a health check can help you.  

You can find lots of information and advice on the Health for Teens website. It has information about services available to you here in Devon as well as more general information about things like relationships, lifestyle, sexual health and feelings. 

Young people aged 16 and 17 can make a referral for help using the form on the Children and Family Health Devon website. You don’t have to go to your GP first. Check out the web page and find out what information you’ll need to provide.